Rome Must Perish-Chapter 294 - 182: Knowing the Existance of the Skodisqi Tribe_2

The look in the eyes of Fesaros and the other generals as they gazed at Pequot was full of envy: the first person in the entire tribe to be promoted to a First-class Tribesman!

However, no one voiced any objections, because the battle merit Pequot achieved this time was indeed unparalleled.

"Pequot, having you serve as my Guard Captain truly wastes your military talents." Maximus glanced at Quintus and Flanitnus beside him, before solemnly continuing: "I will discuss with the Military Department to find you a suitable position, so you can fully utilize your talents."

Pequot felt his blood boiling with excitement, causing his face to flush red with color. After all, the main reason he took the risk to attack Brochi Territory was to prove himself, and now his goal was achieved.

"However, during this operation, you made a mistake." Maximus restrained his smile, his tone becoming somewhat stern: "When you decided to lead your team to Brochi Territory, you should have sent someone to slip back to the camp and inform us of your decision, so we could be aware of your movements. This would allow us to adjust our plans to respond to new changes in the battlefield and support your military actions in the east.

If you had done that, perhaps the Pannonian Army would have suffered greater losses before their retreat, and your return with the troops could have been more composed... I hope I won’t see you make the same mistake next time, because an excellent general must not only complete tasks well but also actively cooperate with other teams to steer the entire war in a more favorable direction for us."

Maximus’ words were like a warning bell for the overly excited Pequot, causing his heart to tighten suddenly. He immediately replied, "Leader, I won’t make such mistakes again."

"That’s good." Maximus nodded, his tone becoming gentle again, as he asked, "How have you arranged for that team left in Brochi Territory to hold back the enemy, to retreat and return?"

"I instructed them to discard all baggage before the Brochi Army catches up, quickly delve into the southern mountains, then disperse into several squads, roughly following the route I took on my return. I’ve buried quite a lot of supplies along the way and marked them, so they can resupply and return to the camp as quickly as possible..."

"Your escape plan for them is fairly thorough, but with your main force having already escaped, it’s likely to infuriate the Brochi people, who will definitely intensify their efforts to besiege that squad. It might be difficult for them to return safely..."

These words struck at the hidden anxiety in Pequot’s heart, making his earlier joy vanish, leaving him to reply sadly, "Yes..."

"Quintus, Flanitnus." Maximus looked at the two Chief Officers of the Military Department, his demeanor solemn as he said, "Quickly discuss how to send troops to assist this squad, and try to minimize their casualties!"

"Alright."

"Thank you, Leader!" Pequot was sincerely grateful, as Maximus’ decision greatly relieved his sense of guilt.

From being praised and rewarded, to being criticized and feeling guilty, and then to being immensely grateful, Pequot’s emotions underwent a roller-coaster ride in such a short period. He was a bit unwilling, wanting to prove himself again: "Leader, I discovered a significant secret that the leaders of the Pannonian Tribes have been hiding while in Brochi Territory!"

"What secret?!" Pequot’s words attracted the attention of everyone in the military tent.

Clearing his throat, Pequot raised his voice and said, "Brochi is also a major Pannonian Tribe. However, when I led my team to raid its territory, it couldn’t quickly dispatch a strong army to besiege me, which I found very strange.

Coincidentally, I captured their leader when I occupied a tribal village. After interrogation, I finally learned that Brochi, while sending reinforcements to Segestica to counter us, also dispatched over ten thousand reinforcements to another major Pannonian Tribe.

This major tribe, called Andizeti, is located east of Brochi, and its territory is currently being invaded by the Dacians and—" Pequot suddenly lowered his voice, "the Skodisqi people—"

"What did you say?! The Skodisqi people invading the Pannonians’ territory?!" Everyone in the military tent was both shocked and puzzled.

Pequot was satisfied with everyone’s reaction, looking solemnly at Maximus, he said, "According to the confession of the Brochi leader, the Pannonians achieved great victory over the Skodisqi people in their war years ago, but the Skodisqi Tribe was not completely annihilated. Remnants still exist in the area south of the Sava River and the Danube River.

Supported and aided by the East Dacians, the Pannonians couldn’t completely eliminate them, and this time the Dacians even sent a large army to help the Skodisqi there defeat the Andizeti’s tribal army and invade its territory. Hence, the Pannonian Tribe Alliance is requesting the other major tribes to dispatch as many reinforcements as possible to help Andizeti repel the enemy..."

Pequot’s words shocked the people inside the tent. As everyone tried to digest the information they received, Quintus was the first to react, eagerly saying with a look of delight, "Leader, this is a good thing!—"

"Let me think first." Maximus raised his hand to stop him from continuing, the mention of Dacia stirred his memories, leading him to recall some information about the Pannonia Plain during this era.

The fact that remnants of the Skodisqi still existed was indeed beyond Maximus’ expectation! In his past life, he knew nothing about when this Celtic tribe rose or declined, as he wasn’t a history major, yet it was enough to demonstrate that this tribe didn’t have much illustrious performance in history.

But Dacia was different. Maximus clearly remembered that Dacia was a formidable power, later occupying most of the Pannonia Plain. Decades from now, the Roman Empire’s Emperor Trajan mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops to declare war on Dacia and only then succeeded in conquering it... So if the Dacians are choosing to help the Skodisqi people at this moment, standing against the Pannonians, that’s going to be a big problem for the Pannonians. The conflict between them might not end so easily...

Maximus pondered for a while, then suddenly asked in a deep voice, "Pequot, besides you, who else in your team knows about the existence of the Skodisqi tribe remnants?"

"Just me." Pequot hurriedly explained: "I used some special methods during the interrogation, and didn’t want anyone else to see, so it was conducted alone."

Pequot spoke the truth, being an experienced pirate, he was often responsible for interrogating hostages about their origins after raiding a merchant ship to demand ransom, thus he was skilled in some bloody and ruthless methods. However, while leading troops into battle alone this time, he realized such practices might affect the soldiers’ perception of him, prompting him to avoid everyone’s sight and interrogate quietly.

"What about the Pannonian leader?"

"I dealt with him after the interrogation." After answering, Pequot added, "Leader, I understand that if the news about the Skodisqi remnants existing gets out, the vast majority of Skodisqi slaves will flee over there rather than join our ranks!"

"It’s good you understand." Maximus surveyed the others in the tent, solemnly saying, "I believe everyone understands the seriousness of this matter. I hope you can strictly keep this secret. If anyone leaks it, they will become the enemy of the entire tribe and will face severe punishment!"

"But Leader, the existence of the Skodisqi tribe is a fact, and eventually, these Skodisqi slaves will find out." Fesaros reminded.